'Cases were filed under SP rule’: O.P. Rajbhar hits back at Shivpal Yadav over Azam Khan remark

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has hit back at Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav over his recent remarks in support of senior party leader Azam Khan, questioning the SP’s role in the cases against the jailed leader and attacking the party over its record in government.

Shivpal Yadav, during his visit to Azamgarh, had said that those who had implicated Azam Khan would face the consequences of their actions. He also asserted that if the SP returned to power in Uttar Pradesh, Azam Khan would be released from jail and justice would be ensured for him.

Responding to Shivpal’s remarks, Rajbhar said, “He was trapped by people from the SP itself. The cases that have been filed against him were all filed during the SP’s tenure.”

Rajbhar also questioned allegations concerning government land and construction, saying, “You are giving him money, you are constructing a building on government property, and if that land is government land, why was it not transferred in the name of a school? Is this the fault of the BJP or the SP?”

The minister then turned his criticism towards Shivpal’s own tenure as a minister, alleging irregularities in government recruitment. “When you were a minister, there used to be bidding for jobs in the state. That too is a sin, and it will catch up with you,” he told IANS.

Rajbhar claimed that under the present Yogi Adityanath government, people are getting government jobs without paying money.

Meanwhile, Rajbhar also reacted to a poster put up outside the SP office in Lucknow on Tuesday. The poster shows SP chief Akhilesh Yadav sitting with folded hands before Lord Hanuman, who is depicted as blessing him. It carries the message “Vijay Bhava: 2027.”

Taking a swipe at the poster, Rajbhar said, “Why don’t they become Hanuman ji themselves? If they are taking Hanuman ji’s blessings, what blessing will he give them?”

He went on to narrate an analogy involving a river, the sea, Lord Shiva, a mountain and Hanuman, before invoking Lord Ram in his remarks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]